Childers, Cup Champion, New Boss at JR Motorsports Xfinity

Rodney Childers Finds New Direction at JR Motorsports

Following his departure from Spire Motorsports in April, Rodney Childers, known for guiding Kevin Harvick to the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship, has found a new challenge in his professional career. Childers will assume the crew chief role at JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, specifically for the No. 1 Chevrolet, which will be driven by Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch. This will be the first time Childers serves as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series.

Rodney’s resume and track record speak for themselves. Rodney and I grew up together and have known each other since we were kids. That’s a relationship that has always been close and remains so to this day. We have always been interested in working together in motorsports, and I am grateful that this opportunity came along and we were able to bring him into the JRM family.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports.

Childers previously worked with Justin Haley at Spire, but the relationship came to an end when both the driver and the crew chief felt it wasn’t working. During his time at Stewart-Haas Racing with Harvick, Childers achieved 40 victories and the Cup title. Subsequently, he worked with Josh Berry in 2024, the last year of Stewart-Haas Racing’s existence.

Jusan Hamilton Steps Down as NASCAR’s Director of Racing Operations

NASCAR confirmed the departure of Jusan Hamilton as race director, with six races remaining to finish the season. He is no longer listed as a NASCAR employee, where his official title was general manager of competition operations. Hamilton began his career in NASCAR as an intern in 2012 and returned in 2016, performing various roles. He oversaw NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, the development of pit crews, and NASCAR’s iRacing pro divisions, in addition to being a race director. Hamilton played a crucial role in defining the annual calendar and each race weekend. His first event as race director was in 2018 at Pocono Raceway. In 2022, Hamilton became the first Black race director to officiate the Daytona 500.